Write date:06-20; 07-09
Hello to everyone, and I'm back with a (looks at the writing date) a little 'newer' chapter.
Well, college is fun for the time being ( I got to meet lots of cool people) but even now I have tons of Latin to learn, which is interesting, but hard for a beginner like me. And it's just the start, anatomy, physiology and psychology will be waiting for me next week...
And I still have to finish this fic somehow... Anyway enjoy!
-X-X-X-
Although Ritsu hadn't fell to the awaited slumber for awhile... And more memories surged through his brain.
The man reminisced... When he was running home. When he opened the front door.
"Hah! I beat you, Ritsu! I'm here first!" The silver-haired boy paused, just when he heared a prideful laugh.
Ritsu pouted his lips soon, overlooking Sanae. The girl stood in front of him with a white floral dress, her green hair were falling freely and covering her back. She was Nagisa's younger sister and a ten-year old at that time, while Ritsu and Nagisa were twelve.
"You cheated. I saw it!" The boy smirked, sounding sure of himself, while crossing his arms." You skipped through the field."
"I didn't!" She swayed on her toes absentmindedly, while her playful eyes scanned the ceilling." There's an even better route I found! But I'm not telling you~!"
"Uh? What?!"
"Kids, it's lunch time!" A sweet woman's voice called out from the kitchen. And both children, exchanged looks, before running to the bathroom to wash their hands.
"I'm first!" Sanae announced, bouncing to Minami Tomoko - Ritsu's mother. The tall blue-haired woman, who was a little pale skinned with a few wrinkles only giggled, caressing the girl's head. "Well, sit down. Nagisa's been waiting for you. And she helped me bake your favorite pie."
"Chocolate pie?!" Sanae exclaimed, while her cat ears perked up from the excitement and her furry long tail wagged ceaselessly. Soon Tomoko turned to the bathroom with a smile. The little girl's enthusiasm was common to her. And sometimes things never change, like Sanae's speed compared to Tomoko son's.
"Mhm... Where's Ritsu? Hurry up boy! Don't let a girl beat you."
"Coming, coming!"
Sanae chuckled at her friend's whinning. Then she grabbed her chopsticks from the table with determination, planning to dig in. The chocolate pie was waiting after this bowl of rice, that seemed like a big stake to her. But Tomoko suddenly patted the green-haired girl's shoulder, shaking her head. While Sanae pouted childishly, only dreaming of the cake.
"Not food yet, darling. We have to thank the God first!"
'Ah... Religious as always... I'm still quite surprised at myself, how I abandoned religion after all those years of thanking the god, going to Church and other customs... Sanae 's and Nagisa's former parents were close to my father, Kizuru... And after they left the girls, we took the responsibility to take care of them during the summers, when the academy let out for vacation... We grew together like a family... But I don't feel a slightest piece of sympathy for Nagisa after all that... Hah, hah... How things change...'
"Mommy, are you feeling okay?" Ritsu's ears dropped, when he saw his mother massaging her temples. The two girls perked up overhearing it.
"It's just a cold, darling." Tomoko shook her head, adding a sincere smile on top of her pale face. After an uncomfortable silence, she motioned to their plates with a swift hand." Eat, eat. You don't want it to get cold, do you?"
'The influenza A virus... to be exact. Or simply the Aussie flu. It's symptoms were of a cold... And my mother herself hadn't wanted to see a doctor for something so trivial. She always used to say, that doctors had worse patients, that needed to be treated... Despite the fact, that she had a rather weak immune system, my mother kept quiet, playing a happy family's role... Tomoko just didn't wanted to be a burden to other people. Just like me... So that's from where that trait came from. Eh?'
Kizuru, a light blonde man with some facial hair, closed the door to the bedroom behind himself. He halted not walking away like he had hoped. The blonde had a job as a teacher at the academy, that meant tons of work. Instead the father took notice of the three children standing ahead, with sad eyes and flat cat ears, fallen on their heads.
"It's going to be fine. Mom just needs a little rest, that is all."
"B-but, she didn't looked good at lunch." Nagisa lips quivered in response, while she fidgeted with her long sleeved dress. She was scared, probably more than Ritsu, Tomoko was like a real mother to her.
"Yea, you should have seen her!" Sanae bud in quickly then, waving her little hands for more effect."All pale, like a ghost. I thought she would faint!"
"Sleep. Give her some time to sleep, okay?" Kizuru shushed the children, bringing a finger to his lips. Sanae shut her trap instantly, not wanting to anger him. But as soon as those words were voiced out, the father walked off in huge steps, then drove off, leaving the children all alone.
"You think he'll come back tonight?" Ritsu whispered to Nagisa, who was leaning at the window frame, seeing the father's car disappear in the distance.
"Doubtful..." The bluenette murmured with a visible hint of disgust in her voice." I heared him talking... That he had other work to do..."
Ritsu only frowned, standing in Nagisa's company for awhile, before running outside to search for Sanae.
He found her in the playground as usual. The green-haired girl was swinging again. Her legs flying high up in the air, as her momentum from the pull was released. The girl giggled, over viewing the village, from a higher view. Sanae felt like a bird with wings. However all birds must land, in so she sprung her legs forward, reaching the ground like a beautiful swan. Ritsu smiled, Sanae always had a calming effect on him.
Besides their beloved cat nested into a ball, sleeping next the playground in the uncut grass. The casually twitching black ears were the only sign of it's whereabouts. Ritsu went over to ruin it's gentle sleep, by patting it.
'The fact was, that my father had been a part of Septimal Moon and for some odd reasons, they held their meetings at nights. Probably because the organization wanted lesser attention from others, or because they were busy people... But we were barely teenagers then, we hardly understood. And so we made up our own theories of what was happening. Me and Nagisa even began doubting his loyalty to my mother.'
A week had passed, without any further change. Kizuru was still buried in work, while Tomoko's sickness gradually got worse. Although nobody did anything, it was a flu, they believed.
" How are you feeling, mother?" Ritsu came into the parents room, carrying a bowl of hot soup. He heared a huge sneeze, coming from the bed and his ears flattened on his head, was that a stupid question? The teenager then strode closer towards the wooden ornamental double bed.
"Oh... Been worse..." Tomoko slowly turned around to face him, with a faint voice. And Ritsu tucked the fallen blanket closer to her, after putting the plate on the small table, near the bed.
" Father made this?" The woman smiled in disbelief.
"No, Nagisa. Dad's out all night again."
"Don't be that hard on him, okay? He has his reasons." She pleaded. Ritsu just scoffed silently as a response. But soon heard his mother have a dry coughing fit.
"Mom?"
"It's... Okay... Ekhce. Y-you better go. kch..."
Ritsu nodded slowly, as his pupils were glued to his paled mother, who's eyes were drowsy, while the face seemed thinner. Regardless the woman hadn't touched her food. Ritsu watched her inventively for a second, before exiting the bedroom with a sad sigh. The sight of his once cheerful mother, now being in this weakened state, terrified him.
The silver-haired boy stood just outside of the door, allowing his shoulders to slump for once. He listened, overhearing loud sneezing and coughing. Ritsu just wished, that mother wouldn't get nauseous like last time after a meal.
"Bed?" Sanae snapped the boy out of his thoughts. She probably came back from her daily swinging, as the sky darkened indicating a storm. He faked a small smile. Ritsu didn't wanted Sanae to notice his gloomy mood.
"Yea..."
The silverette didn't closed his eyes that night regardless. The endless patter of rain, knocking at his window was disturbing his sleep. Though that never happened before. Perhaps that wasn't the only reason?
The boy jolted upwards, glancing at the mentioned window. It stood above his desk, on the other side of the room. He frowned, at the foolish idea his mind conjured up suddenly. Well, he shrugged, setting his feet on the cold floorboards, if Nagisa won't catch up and won't gossip to his parents, then he was safe. Yet Ritsu's cheeks blushed... Stupid...
"Knock, knock, room service."
"What?" A sleepy voice evoke from the other end, when Sanae parted the door for an inch. Ritsu stood on the other side, holding a blanket and a pillow, as his feet fidgitted from shame.
"Co... Could... I Sleep in your room?"
"Sure."
Now they both admired the rain's symphony, as they layed in one bed. In darkness, in incomplete silence...
"Are you troubled?" The green-haired girl tilted her head at her companion after quite awhile.
"What?..." The silver-haired boy bit his comment suddenly. He couldn't bare to lie to Sanae." Yea... About mom. Her sickness is getting worse by the day if not faster."
"Worry, worry, fly away..." Sanae suddenly patted his head joyfully. And Ritsu snuggled beneath his covers feeling the calming warmth wash over him. Though it didn't lasted...
The silverette tore his eyes open, as he felt Sanae's silky hand vacant. He took a sight of her. The girl's pupils were bloodshot, as she sat still and alerted.
"Sanae?"
"Shh!" She cut him off quickly, then whispered in a high pitched voice."Don't you hear it? What is that?"
A scratching? A low stuttering noise emitted by something scrapping against a wall.
"A mouse?" The boy guessed.
It didn't stopped. The sound did the opposite - it louden. Now it seemed as if the whole room echoed from that hateful noise.
"I don't know..." Sanae shook her head, grasping Ritsu's hand.
The boy could feel the shivering, that her small palm produced. That was unusual for Sanae, she always seemed brave for her age. Besides the girl always comforted Ritsu, when he was down, guessing his emotions quite accurately. How did she have such an effect to him, remained a mystery. But, Ritsu had to remind himself, she was still a child, with her childish fears and imaginations.
The teenager moved closer to her, beginning to caress Sanae's hair in an attempt to calm her down.
Although the trembling remained. The scratching lingered. It didn't cease, it didn't cease, it didn't cease.
X X X
Undeniably the morning came.
"Morning, Sanae!" Nagisa waved, cheerful as ever, as she carried a bowl from the kitchen, dressed in a beautifully ornamented blue dress. Sanae never understood her sister's way of dressing.
"Ah..." The little sister only yawned. She barely slept, hence wasn't in the best mood, unlike her sibling. The greenette had an urge to ask Nagisa if she had heard anything last night, but seeing that Nagisa's hands and worries were full she kept silent, with a slightly parted jaw.
"Hey, sleepy head!" The twin-tailed teenager laughed soon, spotting Ritsu drag his feet through the middle of the hallway, to the bathroom. Nagisa pouted her lips at him being silent.
"Well I'm going to check up on mother. Ritsu, could you grab the thermometer from the bathroom stall. Great, thank's." With that the blue-haired girl slightly opened the door of the parents bedroom, leaving a stunted Ritsu and a half asleep Sanae.
Nagisa paused, upon entering. Tomoko seemed to be sleeping... In an odd position too. Her head was dropped by the edge of the bed and turned away. The blue pillow was on the floor likewise. While her one hand was extended towards the wall, where bloody scratch marks and splinters could be made out.
"Mother?" Nagisa took a timid step forward. There was no response.
'It's a weird sleeping habit, right?' Her mind presented a solution and so she asked again.
"Mother, are you awake?"
Nothing... Quiet...
She crouched down next to the woman, her curiosity getting the best of her. Nagisa put her hands on the female's head, trying to turn it around, maybe then Tomoko would notice...
There was something that itched at the back of her mind. And the heaviness of Tomoko's unresponsive head just made Nagisa's heart sink. Soon a piercing scream reigned, slipping by rational mind, with no return.
"Nagisa, what happened?" Sanae and Ritsu were fast at the entrance, but stopped dead in their tracks, seeing Nagisa checking for a pulse and desperately shaking a well known person, that was reduced to a rag doll.
Ritsu thought this couldn't get any crazier than this. He couldn't quite grasp what he was watching. Something caught on to him after a moment, when the boy spotted the defected wall. His eyes widened with fear. So that's from where the scratching was emitted.
The silverette, unsurelly looped his arms around Sanae's shaking shoulders, enveloping her into an embrace. When he opened his mouth nothing comforting came out, just a pitiful wail. Damn it. Sanae was crying louder know and Ritsu couldn't do a thing about it.
Nonetheless nothing changed... It seemed the time stopped. And the horrid sounds took over their ears, as they preferred not to see the event anymore like neglecting the truth.
Yet Sanae cried and shivered as if in a middle of a rain. Still Ritsu choked on his own prayers. And Nagisa kept rocking back and forth, nuzzling at the cold body in front of her, stuttering only one word...
"Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy..."
From then on wards it didn't took long for Kizuru to return. Less then an hour passed, before he came in huge, hurried steps. He looked grief stricken from the unperceived death like the children.
Kizuru glanced at them in the guest room, cuddled up on the couch and sobbing silently. The light-haired man came closer quickly. Then Kizuru kissed every one on the forehead, before he crouched on one knee, uttering with a sharp voice.
"Nagisa, Sanae... I know it's hard for you now... But I'd like to ask you a favor." The two girls exchanged a teary eye contact, then shifted awkwardly behind the cover, which they brought to keep warm. None of them spoke though." I want you to go back to the academy."
Well that was an unwelcoming surprise. Even Ritsu's cat ears twitched .
"I don't know if I can take care of you three now on my own... And with all this happening, I'd want to recollect with my real family, before saying goodbye to Tomoko."
Sanae's eyes widened from the shock. But that was nothing compared to the deathly glares, that Ritsu and Nagisa shot to Kizuru. They weren't intending to hide their anger, which started to boil up. Especialy Ritsu... It seemed something finally snapped inside of him, shattering a chain, that used to pin down the horrid sensation to rebel.
"Aren't we a family? Dad?" Nagisa spat out unsavory, as her eyes lit up. Kizuru wanted to oppose and cut her off, certainly displeased of the sudden change of the topic. However the girl didn't let him, loudenning her tone of voice." You took care of us for years! And what? Now you'll discard us like we we're nothing?!"
"Watch your tone, young lady! I want you to pack your things by tomorrow morning. That's final."
"Why?! We been through everything together. We tended our mother, when she was sick. We helped you on daily basis. That's how you thank us?! Get out of my house?!" Nagisa's voice broke down. Even Sanae gave a disbelief eye to her sister, then promptly tugged at Ritsu's hand.
"That's no way to speak to an adult. This case is closed." He glowered, unshaken by Nagisa's rage. In the meantime Nagisa just mimicked him in a childish manner. And that caught Sanae's attention, when the spooked child eyed them both, keeping their ground. She couldn't bare to listen, so Sanae murmured with a flustered voice.
"Please... Stop it... Shouldn't we be thinking of our mom now?"
"Mother... That is not your mother! You don't belong here in the first place!"
Ritsu's face grimaced from the shock and fear. While Sanae small body shook from his father's harsh tone. Now that was crossing the line... No... That barrier was already crushed, when Kizuru voiced out the idea of abandoning Sanae and Nagisa.
"Family? Like you know what that word means..." Ritsu muttered behind his breath. Although soon he felt everyone's eyes on him. So this was how it felt to disobey and defy your father's rule. He gulped, then stood up." Cheating bastard. Where were you, when mother needed you the most? Sleeping with someone else!"
Unfortunately the silver-haired boy didn't noticed something flying toward him, when a cold hand hit his cheek, making Ritsu fall down. Nagisa let out a small screech too. And the boy sat bewildered, checking his jaw if everything was still intact from the heavy blow. Did his father just slapped him?
"Ritsu, I won't let you insult me. You two..." Kizuru's frozen eyes landed onto Nagisa and Sanae, who both shuddered, seeing his clenched fists, that were no dount capable of doing the same act to them." Start packing. We're leaving tonight. When the doctor will be done with the autopsy, I want you to be ready by then."
The ringing didn't cease. It felt like Ritsu's whole head buzzed now, when he watched Sanae and Nagisa, silently leave from the couch. This wasn't happening...
'Stupid... I was stupid... Letting out my own false theories out in the open. All it gave me were lesser hours to say goodbye to Sanae and Nagisa... However we still hoped, that this will only be temporary. We had hopes, that next summer we'll be back here, swinging together... Ah, the dreamers we were... We didn't understood that it was final. Maybe that unawareness saved us?
In the academy I would get to see Nagisa. But it was hard to get in touch with Sanae, as she learned in another ward... Our family was wrecked. And the loneliness stang for a lot of years...
The hollow scratching was still in my head the next night with a well known woman's wail. I even considered that mother was playing dead. That's why I constantly visited her bedroom, only to come to the same rotten view. So why did it seemed that her lips moved everytime? That still flesh let out that sweet chirping voice, beckoning me to come closer. Her vivid eyes shimmered bright with energy and life then. Until I would gather my strength to actually come to her bedding. The same corpse would greet me again as if mocking me of my wishful delusions. I continued this stroll for what seemed endlessly the whole night, harboring the same hope and being crushed by the truth again and again...
The funeral day followed... Ah ... I'll spare my blushing of getting the task to redress the corpse... Thankfully I managed to leave the nightgown on, giving my mother one of her best dresses. A black long sleeved dress ornamented with red and white roses...
I assumed that Nagisa and Sanae would be present at the funeral... No... Just some distant relatives, that I didn't bothered to cry my heart to... If only the girls would've been there... I really needed Sanae's playful: "Worry, worry fly away!"...
Damn it... I felt like I've been stuck in a nightmare. I still heard her voice... My mother's mutters, echoing laughs... I thought I was going insane, because nobody even noticed how mother's lips curved into a frown or how she munched on her pale fallen in cheek, while laying in the coffin...
However the biggest surprise waited for us, when the priest came... Firstly, he was purposefully late, besides he refused to give the final anointment. The priest claimed, that Tomoko had been possessed by a demon, absurd... We had the autopsy -we knew she died because of a virus... No... Despite this, we were forbidden to bury her in the cemetery, because he said it would contaminate the soil with evil demonic energy or something of that sort... I think I was half snoozing at that part.'
"Ritsu..." A voice rang by the boy's ear. He parted his eyes, seeing his father and his brother in front of him. The two siblings looked at the boy with hurtful expressions. The silverette nearly jumped then, colliding his head with his father's.
Ritsu panted for a minute after, eyeing the room suddenly, before he remembered that he was still in the funeral hall. The currents of chairs sat in front. And an opened casket in the far end... The silver-haired boy rubbed his hurting forehead, feeling more tired then before the nap...
"Kid...It's night already, everyone's out." The other man with long golden hair tied in a ponytail announced. Hachirou -Kizuru's younger brother.
Indeed... Ritsu's mind agreed, as he took notice of the dark foggy windows, depriving light to ruin their one colored portraits. Soon, as there was nothing more for his eyes to feast upon, a question penetrated his mind: just for how long was he out?
"Are you serious about this? You know this would be a disgrace for the whole family, Kizuru." Hachirou mumbled out rapidly.
"Yes... What else are you suggesting?"Kizuru's voice finally snapped Ritsu out, when his ears fell flat - he felt out of place to whatever they where discussing.
"Maybe the priest will change his mind. Let's not be hasty... We have to wait until tomorrow." Hachirou countered a little bit weakly this time, waving his hand. A scoff was emitted from the other." This is the first case of him actually forbidding a burial..."
"So what?! You think I want to live through that humiliation again? That was his decision, not the God's... We are not suppose to listen to him. So are you coming or not, Hachirou?!" A loud yell disturbed the quiet, making Ritsu tremble and as he peeked at his uncle, the boy noticed him gulp. Hachirou leaned his weight on one leg timidly, grabbing the chair's railing to hold on to.
Seeing these two, it was hard to think they were related by blood. Kizuru always seemed strong, holding his arguement, as the last and unquestionable. While his brother Hachirou was the joker of the family, always kissing the shoes of those more superior to him.
"Fine... Fine, just let me bring a shovel..." The long-haired blonde fluttered his fingers at Kizuru, while slightly kicking the chair's leg in thr meantime. Ritsu's father crossed his arms locking his piercing eyes with his walking off brother. While the scene took place, Ritsu's scared pupils jumped from one side to another. Before the anxious boy gathered the will to ask, not just drum his fingers on his knee like a scared rabbit.
"What's happening here? What are we doing?"
"We're going to bury the corpse."
Ritsu ogled his father with skeptical eyes, silently begging for an explanation to what's going to happen. Because in reality he wasn't in the mood to ask questions aloud, especially with everything that happened recently. The forced departure of Sagan sisters was mostly the reason to Ritsu's coldness toward his father.
"You take the shoulders. I'll walk in front." Another order, when Kizuru blew out the candles, that stood on the casket with bouquets of flowers. When Ritsu hadn't took even a step forward as if glued to his seat, Kizuru barked again." Did you heard what I said?!"
"Well, I'm ready when you are..." Hachirou whistled instead, marking his presence once again. The blonde stood by the slid open door, gradually leaning at it. While his hands were occupied with a couple of shovels.
"Good luck, kid!" The uncle winked at Ritsu, who finally walked toward the corpse. The teenager inspected the dead face from every side. He emitted a heavy breath from his lungs soon, atleast mother stopped wailling and munching... Still his hands trembled and he was cautious to even touch the numb shoulders. What if he hurt her?
Soon his legs began to wobble, ready to give in just by seeing the dark blue hair, cascading down on the warned out face, that used to smile to him. The now frozen, paled lips, that were warm, when mother had kissed him. The caring arms, folded on her stomach... Why did this happened? Why couldn't he feel those loving hands touch him anymore? Couldn't mother wake up from her slumber, at least for a short second, even if to say goodbye? He wished, he could tell her, how lonely he was... Ritsu didn't had anyone else to talk to like this anymore. Tears suddenly swelled up in his eyes. He wanted her back. Ritsu couldn't do this...
Yet he still found himself lifting the heavy body. And off they went, with Hachirou leading the way. He was the one with the directions, while Kizuru and Ritsu hadn't grasped the nature of the enormous woods that well. Hachirou also made sure, that no one would see this affair. Well it was technically night already, but still better safe than sorry.
The moon flared up in the starless, dark sky as the trio made their way to the forest's clearing, which wasn't close to the funeral home unfortunately. The quiet trek, was agonising and slow.
Kizuru strided ahead, and kept pulling the body forward, while Ritsu stumbled in the back, scarcely keeping up with his father's fast pace, more to say, his gigantic steps. The silver-haired teenager believed his father could cross the whole north America with one big footstep.
On the other hand Ritsu's legs nearly dragged, as his hands dug deeper into the body's shoulders, fearing that it might fall, along with him...
Ritsu didn't knew for how long could he be able to keep up the pace, he didn't expected the body to be that heavy and stiff like clay... Rigor mortis sure did it's thing. What made things even worse, was the squirming, Ritsu felt in his stomach. He thought, he could vomit any second now.
"Hey..." Hachirou called from ahead of the forest, looming behind the tree branches." Let's take a break. You okay, Ritsu? You look like you're about to faint."
As soon as those words were voiced out, the teenager layed down his mother on the grassy bedding. And found himself kneeling near her head. Ritsu shakily covered his mouth, trying to stop the urge that was rising up his throat, when he took another closer look of the well known person. (alright, the exhausting walk, had it's benefits. Back then the teen didn't had the time to peek at what he was carrying) It seemed like the silverette was about to throw up, as his body convulsed threateningly for a few times. Kizuru placed down his side as well, then gave his son a glimpse.
"You know what, go home... We can take it from here." Kizuru nodded, giving Ritsu's hair a harsh ruffle, which was nearly painful and not calming as it was intended. Ritsu's eyes shrunk in a mixture of fear and rage: 'Oh, come on, what now you cheating bastard? Don't hit me anymore...'
Kizuru scrutinized the place around them then, voicing out.
"It's not far, is it, Hachirou?"
The uncle shook his head with a weak smile, which probably didn't showed his true emotions at all.
"No... It's a few steps away and people don't wonder these places. I can give you directions, Kizuru."
Hachirou soon purposefully stepped on a few broken tree branches, hearing crows lift off, screeching viciously afraid of the commotion. The long-haired man gave a nod to Ritsu, while picking the corpse by the armpits instead of him.
The silverette was able to draw himself up, only after the view of his father and uncle carrying a swaying 'mother' disappeared in the darkness of the forest.
The teen still heard it... His mother's cheerful giggling, her voice, mingled with the hideous squawking of the birds, that circled around their nests high in the trees. The laughter of the person long gone.
Finally he stood up, walking as fast as he could out of the forest... It still reached his ears. His mother's voice haunted him, disallowing to think about anything else...
"Please stop... Please stop. Please stop. Please stop. Please stop..."
' I kept seeing her silhouette... In the shadows, in my dreams. I still perceived her loud callings or the beautiful laughter, when we visited her grave nearly every day... But no matter how much I tried to prove to myself, that she's trully not one of us anymore, I couldn't... It drove me nearly insane.
I kept a distance from my father and he kept working or maybe not working anymore and heading for a drink instead. I really wonder, when did that fool began to drench his pity away? I don't blame him for forgetting about me or skipping classes because of a hangover... His life turned into a mess. And when I turned thirteen, he vanished...
I heard from a few, that the Septimal Moon had found a new spell. It could manipulate the memories form a certain period of time and delete them... It seemed that, my dad was reeled in to try out the experiment... And I'm pretty sure this wasn't the first time that the old Septimal Moon experimented on themselves. As they kept their schemes in secret I can make a lot of nasty theories...
But that's beside the point... The spell worked. Kind of... Kizuru forgot everything, he was like a new person.
Anyway, I was still traumatized, angry and quite rebellious for my age, so I didn't gave a damn. I lost my father, like my mother, with Sanae and Nagisa. He was gone along with the burnt summer house and mother's torn grave...
...Hm... Even now I remember, when I was a child. How I used to wait for the summer holidays, wishing to be in the Higanbana village again and playing with Sanae. After awhile, when we would get bored, we would compete who would get home faster... And then, when I would open the door, the smell of food would greet my nose trills, accompanied by the sharp voice of my mother... Those sweet summers would never be the same...'
-X-X-X-
Rigor mortis - it is one of the recognizable signs of death, which causes the limbs of the corpse to stiffen.
Aussie flu ( with symptoms of a regular cold) is caused by the influenza viruses, there are three, A, B, C... A is the most severe. It can be deadly to young children, old people, or those who have underlying health conditions for example weekend immune system. There are vaccines, helping to avoid it.
A/N: I'm probably scaring people right now...